BALTIMORE -- Shohei Ohtani was unexpectedly named the Dodgers' starting pitcher for their opener against the Orioles on Friday night, taking the place of Tyler Glasnow, who was scratched due to back tightness.
Ohtani had been scheduled to start Wednesday but was scratched due to a chest cold, his start originally pushed to Monday. That all changed three hours before first pitch at Camden Yards, where he'll make his 12th start as a Dodger and first since stretching out to five innings for the first time on Aug. 27.
“Shohei was up to it. He feels good physically and wants the ball tonight,” manager Dave Roberts explained pregame. “He says he feels good, and talking with the trainers, everyone that needs to know signed off on it. And most importantly, Shohei.”
Ohtani, 31, has posted a 4.18 ERA this year, his first as a pitcher since signing with the Dodgers. The front-runner for the NL MVP Award has also hit .279 with 46 home runs and 87 RBIs in 137 games as a designated hitter.
Ohtani’s return to the mound -- which began in mid-June -- has been carefully managed, increasing his innings load gradually from one frame in his first two starts to 17 1/3 innings in his four August outings, each coming seven days apart.
“He is learning, as most people are, that he’s capable of making adjustments,” Roberts said. “And I think routine is great, but I also think that the desire, the will to react, to read and react, to adjust, that’s still possible, too. And so Shohei, to his credit, wants to pick us up. And I really admire him for that.”
Roberts added that Ohtani would likely not complete five innings again on Friday, given his recent recovery from illness, though it depended on his efficiency. He required 87 pitches to get through five in his last start.
Glasnow tied a season high with seven innings pitched in his last start, Saturday against the D-backs. Roberts said Glasnow was still in line to pitch until back tightness that began on Thursday night continued into Friday.
“The hope is that we push him back a few days and he can make a start early next week,” Roberts said.
Glasnow has won just one of his 14 starts this year, but he has pitched well since returning from a bout of right shoulder inflammation on July 9, posting a 3.02 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings spanning nine starts.